In my life, retreats have been important to break away from the busyness and noise of my suburban world. But taking a full weekend away is difficult to schedule, which means that I have to find places of retreat near my house. Having learned the need for solitude in my life, I’ve assembled a mental map of quiet places to pray in Knoxville and East Tennessee. I’ve grouped these places according to driving distances, depending…
KnoxPriest Posts
With coffee at my side and laptop open, I sat in my armchair easing into a relaxing morning, not noticing how long Netflix Kids had been playing in the background. But after a while, my 2-year old son had grown tired of whatever cartoon was playing and asked me to come play in the next room. ‘Just a minute, buddy, I’ll be right there.’ My ‘be right there’ had taken much too long, not in…
What is the first calling in a father’s life? What is the most difficult calling in a father’s life? I don’t presume a definitive, authoritative answer here, so instead I’ll offer a personal response based on my experience. My answer is the same for both questions- receiving grace. Before I can love my wife after the example of Christ; before I can lead my children as the heavenly Father leads his people, I must first…
The word ‘father’ has always carried a double meaning for me. At church, many people call me Father Jack. At home, my children call me Daddy. I was ordained a priest only two years before our first child was born, so learning how to be a priest and a father to my children converged around the same time. Both callings humble me to my core, requiring continual prayer. Both callings call me to lifelong learning,…
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